1993 Volkswagen EuroVan MV Westpahlia review from North America

Heater blower became noisy - a common problem with the vans. The fan does not have an "Off" setting without turning off the entire system, which probably exacerbates the problem. The part is not expensive, but the repair takes a lot of time - factory process involves discharging the A/C!! There are other ways fortunately.

The van has been plagued with intermittent no-spark problems. This problem has been fixed twice and the van is still broken down. After extensive diagnosis of ignition and fuel systems and wiring harnesses, it looks like the ECM (computer) is bad.

Parts are expensive, and not easy to find at regular retailers. VW specialty shops are the best source.

In North America, these are unique vehicles. The MV Westphalia model has the pop-top and bench seats that convert to a bed, but no stove/fridge using up space. It seats 7 people. The kids love the rear-facing seats and fold-out table.

They are heavy vans (5,000lbs) and with a 109hp 5 cylinder, you don't win races or get great mileage (around 20mpg), but overall it is a good compromise for a big van that seats 7, sleeps 4, and is not too large to use in the city.

The ride is a bit rough and noisy - this is basically a 1/2 ton commercial van. Steering is a bit slow, but accurate; road-holding is good especially for something so tall (higher than car-based minivans).

Shifting the 5 speed is easy enough. Avoid the automatics - they are less reliable and extremely expensive to repair. 5th gear ratio is not tall enough for quiet highway cruising - 3,000 rpm is common at freeway speeds.

Owning these vans is not as easy and can be more expensive than mass-market Japanese, Ford, GM or Chrysler products. Parts are harder to find and can be expensive; they are "different" to service and some mechanics have trouble.

Many people who own these vans really love them. There are good resources online for advice, information, and so on. Poptopheavean and gowesty specialize in service, repairs, and resale of all sorts of VW Vans.